NAME: Dan Patrick C.

Bautista DATE PERFORMED: July 5, 2022 SCORE: ______

LINEAR MOMENTUM

Objectives:
1) To study the types of Collision in one dimension between two balls by using PHET
Simulation.
2) To determine the kinetic Energy and the linear momentum of each ball before and after the
collision.
3) To conclude the main difference between the elastic collision and the inelastic collision.

Part 1: Elastic Collision – a (m1=m2):

1) Click on the following link from PHET Colorado Simulation.

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/collision-
lab/latest/collisionhttps://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/collision-
lab/latest/collision-lab_en.htmllab_en.html Choose “Explore 1D”.

2) Click on more data to see more options.

3) Adjust: Elasticity=100%
4) Select: m1=m2 = 2kg

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 5) Select: Position 1 (-0.5 m) and Position 2 (0.5 m)
6) Select: *v1i=2.00m/s and *v2i=0 as shown below:

7) Collision will take place between blue ball (m1) and pink ball (m2) of the equal masses
(m1=m2=2kg), with (m2) initially at rest (v2i=0). The blue ball (m1) will collide with pink ball
(m2) and essentially stops, then (m2) will move in the same direction of (m1) before collision.

8) Click on Play, then after collision Pause.

9) Record the values of v1f and v2f after collision in table 1.

10) Calculate the values of Pi, Pf, Pf/Pi, Ki, Kf and Kf/Ki and record them in table 1.

11) Repeat the experiment for two different values of v1i (2.50 m/s) and (3.00 m/s), keep v2i = 0
and repeat the steps 8 to 10 and record the values into table 1.

Table 1

V1i V2i V1f V2f Pi = Pf = m2v2f Pf/Pi Ki = Kf = Kf/Ki

(m/s) (m/s)
m1v1i (1/2)m1v1i2 (1/2)m2v2f
(m/s) (m/s) (kg.m/s) 2

(kg.m/s) (J)
(J)

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2.00 0 0.00 2.00 Pi=(2.00kg)(2.00 Pf= (2.00 1 Ki=(1/2)(2.00 Kf=(1/2)(2.0 K’ = 1 J
m/s) = 4 kg.m/s kg)(2.00 m/s) = 4 kg/m/s kg)(2.00 0 kg)(2.00
kg.m/s m/s)2 = 4 J m/s)2 = 4 J
2.50 0 0 m/s 2.50 Pi=(2.00 Pf=(2.00 1 Ki=1/2(2.00 Kf=1/2(2.00 K’= 1 J
m/s kg)(2.50 m/s) = 5 kg)(2.50 m/s) = 5 kg.m/s kg)(2.50 kg)(2.50
kg.m/s kg.m/s m/s)2 = 6.25 J m/s)2 = 6.25
J
3.00 0 0 m/s 3.00 Pi=(2.00 Pf=(2.00 1 Ki=1/2(2.00 Ki=1/2(2.00 K’ = 1 J
m/s kg)(3.00 m/s) = 6 kg)(3.00 m/s) = 6 kg.m/s kg)(3.00 kg)(3.00
kg.m/s kg.m/s m/s)2 = 9 J m/s)2 = 9 J

Part 1: Elastic Collision – b(m1≠m2):

1) Use the same link from PHET Colorado Simulation.

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/collision-
lab/latest/collisionhttps://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/collision-
lab/latest/collision-lab_en.htmllab_en.html Choose “Explore 1D”.
2) KEEP Elasticity = 100%
3) Select: m1 = 3kg and m2 = 2kg
4) KEEP: *position 1 (-0.5 m) and *position 2 (0.5 m)
5) Select: *v1i=2.00m/s and *v2i=0.5m/s

6) Click on Play, then after collision Pause.

7) Record the values of v1f and v2f after collision into tables 2 & 3.
8) Calculate the values of Pi, Pf, Pf/Pi, Ki, Kf and Kf/Ki and record them into tables 2 & 3.

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 9) Repeat the experiment for other three different values of v1i and v2i as mentioned in the
tables 2 & 3, and record the values into tables 2 & 3.

Table 2

V1i V2i V1f V2f Pi = m1v1i + m2v2i Pf = m1v1f + m2v2f Pf/Pi

(m/s) (m/s) (m/s) (m/s) (kg.m/s) (kg.m/s)

2.00 0.50 0.80 m/s 2.30 m/s pi = (3.00 kg)(2.00 m/s) + pf = (3.00 kg)(0.80 m/s) + p’ = 1 kg.m/s
(2.00 kg)(0.50 m/s) = 7 (2.00 kg)(2.30 m/s) = 7
kg.m/s kg.m/s
2.50 0.75 1.10 m/s 2.85 m/s pi = (3.00 kg)(2.50 m/s) + pf = (3.00 kg)(1.10 m/s) + p’ = 1 kg.m/s
(2.00 kg)(0.75 m/s) = 9 (2.00 kg)(2.85 m/s) = 9
kg.m/s kg.m/s
3.00 1.00 1.40 m/s 3.40 m/s pi = (3.00 kg)(3.00 m/s) + pf = (3.00 kg)(1.40 m/s) + p’ = 1 kg.m/s
(2.00 kg)(1.00 m/s) = 11 (2.00 kg)(3.40 m/s) = 11
kg.m/s kg.m/s

Table 3

V1i V2i V1f V2f Ki = (0.5m1v1i2) + (0.5m2v2i2) Kf = (0.5m1v1f2) + (0.5m2v2f2) Kf/Ki

(m/s) (m/s) (J) (J)
(m/s) (m/s)

2.00 0.50 0.80 m/s 2.30 m/s Ki =(0.5)(3.00 kg)(2.00 m/s)2 + Kf =(0.5)(3.00 kg)(0.80 m/s)2 + K’ = 1 J
(0.50)(2.00 kg)(0.50 m/s) = 6.25 J (0.50)(2.00 kg)(2.30 m/s)2 = 6.25 J
2

2.50 0.75 1.10 m/s 2.85 m/s Ki =(0.5)(3.00 kg)(2.50 m/s)2 + Kf =(0.5)(3.00 kg)(1.10 m/s)2 + K’ = 1 J
(0.50)(2.00 kg)(0.75 m/s) = 9.94 J (0.50)(2.00 kg)(2.85 m/s)2 = 9.94 J
2

3.00 1.00 1.40 m/s 3.40 m/s Ki =(0.5)(3.00 kg)(3.00 m/s)2 + Kf =(0.5)(3.00 kg)(1.40 m/s)2 + K’ = 1 J
(0.50)(2.00 kg)(1.00 m/s)2 = 14.5 J (0.50)(2.00 kg)(3.40 m/s)2 = 14.5 J

What have you observed from the activity? How does the data from part (a) and part (b)
similar/vary? What quantities are constant?
Answer/Discussion: Based on the observation, the term "elastic collision" refers to a collision in which no kinetic
energy is lost. Because these are elastic collisions, both momentum and kinetic energy are preserved in sections a and
b, as seen in the simulation. Also, as we increase the mass and velocity of the two balls, momentum increases since
momentum is the product of mass and velocity, but even if the mass and velocity are different in part b, momentum
and kinetic energy are still conserved. Although no energy is lost, some kinetic energy is transformed to a different
kind of energy. In terms of why K.E. is conserved in an elastic collision because of the rule of total energy
conservation. According to the rule of conservation of energy, energy cannot be generated or destroyed; it can only
be transformed from one type of energy to another.

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Part 2: Inelastic Collision:

1) Use the same link from PHET Colorado Simulation.

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/collision-
lab/latest/collisionhttps://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/collision-
lab/latest/collision-lab_en.htmllab_en.html Choose “Explore 1D”.

2) CHANGE: Elasticity to 0%
3) Select: m1 = 3kg and m2 = 2kg
4) KEEP: *position 1 (-0.5 m) and *position 2 (0.5 m)
5) Select: *v1i=2.00m/s and *v2i=0

6) Click on Play, then after collision Pause

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 7) Record the value of vf into tables 4 & 5.
8) Calculate the values of Pi, Pf, Pf/Pi, Ki, Kf and Kf/Ki and record them into tables 4 & 5.
9) Repeat the experiment for other three different values of v1i and KEEP v2i = 0 as shown in
the tables 4 & 5and record the values into tables 4 & 5.

Table 4

V1i V2i Vf Pi = m1v1i Pf = (m1+m2)vf Pf/Pi

(m/s) (m/s) (m/s) (kg.m/s) (kg.m/s)

2.00 0 1.20 m/s Pi = (3.00 kg)(2.00 Pf = (3.00 kg + 2.00 p’ = 1 kg.m/s

m/s) = 6.00 kg.m/s kg)(1.20 m/s) = 6
kg.m/s
2.50 0 1.50 m/s Pi = (3.00 kg)(2.50 Pf = (3.00 kg + 2.00 p’ = 1 kg.m/s
m/s) = 7.5 kg.m/s kg)(1.50 m/s) = 7.5
kg.m/s
3.00 0 1.80 m/s Pi = (3.00 kg)(3.00 Pf = (3.00 kg + 2.00 p’ = 1 kg.m/s
m/s) = 9 kg.m/s kg)(1.80 m/s) = 9
kg.m/s

Table 5

V1i V2i Vf Ki = (0.5m1v1i2) Kf = 0.5(m1+m2) vf2 Kf/

Ki
(m/s) (m/s) (m/s) (J) (J)

2.00 0 1.20 m/s Ki = 1/2(3.00 Kf = 1/2 (3.00 kg + 2.00 K’ = 0.6 J

kg)(2.00 m/s) = 6 J kg)(1.20 m/s)2 = 3.6 J
2.50 0 1.50 m/s Ki = 1/2(3.00 Kf = 1/2 (3.00 kg + 2.00 K’ = 0.6 J
kg)(2.50 m/s) = 9.38 kg)(1.50 m/s)2 =5.63 J
J
3.00 0 1.80 m/s Ki = 1/2(3.00 Kf = 1/2 (3.00 kg + 2.00 K’ = 0.6 J
kg)(3.00 m/s) = 13.5 kg)(1.80 m/s)2 = 8.1 J
J

Conclusion:

What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collision?

Answer: An elastic collision is one in which no kinetic energy is lost. During an inelastic collision, some
of the kinetic energy is transferred to another kind of energy. Momentum is conserved in both elastic and
inelastic collisions; nonetheless, total kinetic energy is the same before and after an elastic impact. Kinetic
energy is spread as heat, thermal energy, or another sort of energy in an inelastic collision.
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Proof:

Part 1: Elastic Collision with Mass 1 and Mass 2 are equal.

Part 1.1: Elastic Collision when Mass 1 and Mass 2 are not equal.

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Part 2: Inelastic Collision